Welcome! This is the blog version of the Transportation Communications Newsletter, which has been published since 1998. You'll find it online at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications/.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

The deadline for submitting technical and scientific papers to the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems has been extended to January 31, 2008. Do not miss the opportunity to present at this event which is expected to attract 10,000 delegates from more than 40 countries from November 16-20, 2008 in New York City. Technical paper drafts and full scientific papers must be submitted at http://www.itsworldcongress.org/submit-a-paper.html no later than January 31. If you have questions about paper content or format, contact Nicole Oliphant at noliphant@itsa.org.

1 comment:

I am the PIO for TransLink, the agency that oversees SkyTrain in Vancouver BC. There are a couple of things worth noting. First, it is necessary to shut down the SkyTrain system for a few hours each night for the purpose of track maintenance. The system shuts down after the last train out of Waterfront Station at 1:18 am (12:18 am on Saturday and 11:18pm on Sunday) so the system is ready to roll again in the morning rush hour. In determining scheduling, TransLink planners consulted with employers of shift workers -- convenience stores, hotels, hospitals, etc. -- to make sure their shifts fit with our schedule and maintenance requirements. Basically, this is a case of people wanting to party right up till 4AM closing and be accommodated on public transit. You can just imagine the backlash if we had a problem during the rush because the track had not been properly maintained.

It's worth pointing out that this fellow's story is a bit fishy. 24 Hours reported that he started the petition on Dec. 29, but he told The Province newspaper that he started it after being put off SkyTrain at 2AM New Year's morning. Our Field Operations and Transit Police have no record -- even anecdotally -- of such an incident, and frankly, we don't tell people they have to get off SkyTrain because the service day has ended: they stay on the train until their station or the terminus station.

About Me

I've been the editor of the TCN since 1998. In addition I'm a traffic reporter in New York City, the voice of the AirTrain at JFK and Newark airports along with PATCO and the NYC subway's "next train" system. Editor of Transportation Radio (www.TransportationRadio.com).